Football Season Outlook: The Process
8/17/2018 1:50:00 PM | Football
This is the first of a four-part season outlook series on the Millersville football team. Full stories breaking down the offense, defense and special teams position-by-position will follow.
Millersville, Pa. - J.C. Morgan is not one to make excuses. Hired as Millersville's head coach just four months before he will coach his first game, don't tell him that he and his staff are behind the eight ball.
"There is no behind-the-eight-ball column in the standings," said Morgan.
While Morgan would certainly love to be further ahead in the installation of the new offense, he knows the value of first establishing the program's culture. The first days of camp had some X's and O's but were more about establishing expectations and teaching players how to go about the business of being a Marauder.
"We have to establish how we are going to do things, lay the foundation for practice expectations, how we conduct our business on the field. That was very important right away," said Morgan. "There is urgency, and everyone assumed we were going to dive right in, but you cannot cheat the process. How we operate our practices, how we function in the meeting rooms is very important. "
From day one, Morgan communicated that there is a standard and a high-level of accountability, both on and off the field, that comes along with being a Marauder.
"We were very tough on them the first few practices, and there was a difference in how (the players) were approaching things before," said Morgan. "They've bought in. It hasn't always been pretty--sunshine and roses--but they have responded well."
The urgency is evident on the practice field. Morgan's staff sprints from station to station, setting a furious tempo. There is no lack of energy. Morgan says that the tempo of play was a shock to the players early in camp, but they are now embracing it.
"They are a great group of young men," said Morgan. "It isn't what is happening on the field, it is what is happening off the field that has impressed me. They are conducting themselves in the right way on campus. Many departments from the dining hall to the police and parking, have commented on how they are carrying themselves. That is very important for a foundation we are trying to build."
Morgan believes in process. Pay attention to the details with discipline and accountability and the wins will come.
Aiding Morgan in the process is a team filled with veteran leadership. There are 18 seniors on the roster, as well as juniors and All-PSAC East defensive players in Tommy Halloway and Cameron Boykin. The Marauders return six starters on offense, and a seven from a defense that made significant strides under the direction of coordinator Matt Sutjak, who was retained during the transition.
In 2017, Sutjak led the defense to its highest PSAC ranking in total defense in 19 years and its best scoring defensive ranking in nine years. The Marauders lost all-region linebacker and leading tackler Sean Dugan, with Boykin and Halloway in the fold, it is the first time since 2008 that Millersville has taken the field with two All-PSAC East players on defense. Joining Boykin in the two-deep at linebacker are a pair of juniors and a pair of seniors. On the defensive line, Morgan Faughnan has started 33 consecutive games while Halloway's six sacks in 2017 were the most by a Marauder since 2001. At cornerback, the Marauders return seniors Kendle Pitts and Ray Lopez as well as junior Brendan Sherman. Seniors Jhet Janis and Trejon Dinkins return at safety.
Sparking the offense will be up to offensive coordinator Jeff Tomasetti, who worked side-by-side with Morgan as the quarterbacks and wide receivers coach at Shippensburg. Tomasetti inherits a unit that ranked 10th in the PSAC in scoring and 13th in total offense. A trio of running backs—Kobe Miranda, Phil Overton and Tyrone Gibson—all have starting experience. Under center, the Marauders have two quarterbacks in Collin Shank and Tony Staffieri that won the PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week Award and led Millersville to a win in 2017. Both players, however, are on the mend from season-ending injuries, and Morgan isn't ready to name a starter just yet.
Guard Brett Harris and center Sean Naughton, who both started all 11 games last season, are the lone returners up front.
At wide receiver, Millersville will have to replace Kevin Wiggins, who led the team in catches for four consecutive seasons at finished with 196 in his career. Xavier Jenkins is a returning starter who caught 24 passes for 362 yards. At tight end, Millersville lost three-year starter Tyler Zilen, but has senior Tim Esham as well as transfer Tayir Wilson ready to step in to that role.
The Marauders draw one of the toughest schedules in the PSAC with games against IUP, Slippery Rock and West Chester in weeks two through four.
The schedule opens with Pace for the third consecutive season. The teams have split with Millersville winning at home (28-7) in 2016, and Pace winning 28-20 at home in 2017. From there, the Marauders travel to IUP in week two, which is ranked No. 4 in the AFCA Division II Preseason Poll. Slippery Rock, which has averaged eight wins per season over the last five years, comes to Biemesderfer Stadium in week three. Preseason PSAC East favorite West Chester welcomes Millersville on Sept. 22. The Marauders host a Thursday night game on Sept. 27 against East Stroudsburg. Morgan faces his old team, Shippensburg, for the first time on Millersville's Oct. 13 Homecoming. Malone and Millersville play for the first time ever on Oct. 20. In week 11, Morgan will face off against a pair of familiar faces on the Mercyhurst sideline. Mercyhurst coach Marty Schaetzle was the offensive coordinator when Morgan was a running back at Bucknell. Mercyhurst's defensive coordinator, David Kotulski, was also one of Morgan's coaches at Bucknell.
Millersville, Pa. - J.C. Morgan is not one to make excuses. Hired as Millersville's head coach just four months before he will coach his first game, don't tell him that he and his staff are behind the eight ball.
"There is no behind-the-eight-ball column in the standings," said Morgan.
While Morgan would certainly love to be further ahead in the installation of the new offense, he knows the value of first establishing the program's culture. The first days of camp had some X's and O's but were more about establishing expectations and teaching players how to go about the business of being a Marauder.
"We have to establish how we are going to do things, lay the foundation for practice expectations, how we conduct our business on the field. That was very important right away," said Morgan. "There is urgency, and everyone assumed we were going to dive right in, but you cannot cheat the process. How we operate our practices, how we function in the meeting rooms is very important. "
From day one, Morgan communicated that there is a standard and a high-level of accountability, both on and off the field, that comes along with being a Marauder.
"We were very tough on them the first few practices, and there was a difference in how (the players) were approaching things before," said Morgan. "They've bought in. It hasn't always been pretty--sunshine and roses--but they have responded well."
The urgency is evident on the practice field. Morgan's staff sprints from station to station, setting a furious tempo. There is no lack of energy. Morgan says that the tempo of play was a shock to the players early in camp, but they are now embracing it.
"They are a great group of young men," said Morgan. "It isn't what is happening on the field, it is what is happening off the field that has impressed me. They are conducting themselves in the right way on campus. Many departments from the dining hall to the police and parking, have commented on how they are carrying themselves. That is very important for a foundation we are trying to build."
Morgan believes in process. Pay attention to the details with discipline and accountability and the wins will come.
Aiding Morgan in the process is a team filled with veteran leadership. There are 18 seniors on the roster, as well as juniors and All-PSAC East defensive players in Tommy Halloway and Cameron Boykin. The Marauders return six starters on offense, and a seven from a defense that made significant strides under the direction of coordinator Matt Sutjak, who was retained during the transition.
In 2017, Sutjak led the defense to its highest PSAC ranking in total defense in 19 years and its best scoring defensive ranking in nine years. The Marauders lost all-region linebacker and leading tackler Sean Dugan, with Boykin and Halloway in the fold, it is the first time since 2008 that Millersville has taken the field with two All-PSAC East players on defense. Joining Boykin in the two-deep at linebacker are a pair of juniors and a pair of seniors. On the defensive line, Morgan Faughnan has started 33 consecutive games while Halloway's six sacks in 2017 were the most by a Marauder since 2001. At cornerback, the Marauders return seniors Kendle Pitts and Ray Lopez as well as junior Brendan Sherman. Seniors Jhet Janis and Trejon Dinkins return at safety.
Sparking the offense will be up to offensive coordinator Jeff Tomasetti, who worked side-by-side with Morgan as the quarterbacks and wide receivers coach at Shippensburg. Tomasetti inherits a unit that ranked 10th in the PSAC in scoring and 13th in total offense. A trio of running backs—Kobe Miranda, Phil Overton and Tyrone Gibson—all have starting experience. Under center, the Marauders have two quarterbacks in Collin Shank and Tony Staffieri that won the PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week Award and led Millersville to a win in 2017. Both players, however, are on the mend from season-ending injuries, and Morgan isn't ready to name a starter just yet.
Guard Brett Harris and center Sean Naughton, who both started all 11 games last season, are the lone returners up front.
At wide receiver, Millersville will have to replace Kevin Wiggins, who led the team in catches for four consecutive seasons at finished with 196 in his career. Xavier Jenkins is a returning starter who caught 24 passes for 362 yards. At tight end, Millersville lost three-year starter Tyler Zilen, but has senior Tim Esham as well as transfer Tayir Wilson ready to step in to that role.
The Marauders draw one of the toughest schedules in the PSAC with games against IUP, Slippery Rock and West Chester in weeks two through four.
The schedule opens with Pace for the third consecutive season. The teams have split with Millersville winning at home (28-7) in 2016, and Pace winning 28-20 at home in 2017. From there, the Marauders travel to IUP in week two, which is ranked No. 4 in the AFCA Division II Preseason Poll. Slippery Rock, which has averaged eight wins per season over the last five years, comes to Biemesderfer Stadium in week three. Preseason PSAC East favorite West Chester welcomes Millersville on Sept. 22. The Marauders host a Thursday night game on Sept. 27 against East Stroudsburg. Morgan faces his old team, Shippensburg, for the first time on Millersville's Oct. 13 Homecoming. Malone and Millersville play for the first time ever on Oct. 20. In week 11, Morgan will face off against a pair of familiar faces on the Mercyhurst sideline. Mercyhurst coach Marty Schaetzle was the offensive coordinator when Morgan was a running back at Bucknell. Mercyhurst's defensive coordinator, David Kotulski, was also one of Morgan's coaches at Bucknell.
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Saturday, November 15
Saturday, October 04
